Thuy Linh Do, MD 2019
In the hottest summer month, I found myself hopping up and down between the old pavement and the crowded road to avoid parked vehicles, chairs and tables of Hanoi’s street food vendors.
These authentic, irresistible and sophisticated cuisines made my heart ache whenever I was away. Sweat ran down my temples, mixed with the dirt and the smoke released by the knitted traffic.
Yet, I felt delighted to reconnect with my culture, and to speak my mother tongue once again. My exhaustion was cleared away and I was recharged.
This experience reminded me of the value of one’s culture in the healing process. In the middle of a chaotic Hanoi, I discovered my inner peace.
This work originally appeared in UOttawa Med's 3rd Annual Art Show.
Reproduced here with permission from Arts in Medicine
Reproduced here with permission from Arts in Medicine
